The Ministry of Education and Science assessed the situation with the admission of graduates to universities

The Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education has announced that as part of the 2026 admission campaign, more than half of 11th grade graduates will be able to enroll in public-funded universities. This was reported on August 5 in the department.

"Budget places are available for more than half of 11th grade graduates," the ministry's statement is quoted by RIA Novosti.

The Ministry noted that this year 620,481 places have been allocated to Russian universities, of which 446,692 are intended for basic higher education, bachelor's and specialty programs. Compared to last year, the number of budget places has increased.

The comment of the Ministry of Education and Science followed publications in Telegram channels that even applicants who have scored more than 300 points on the Unified State Exam face difficulties in applying to the budget due to high competition.

The agency also reported that after analyzing the preferences of the winners of the Olympiads, the admission control figures were increased for a number of leading universities, including the Financial University, Lomonosov Moscow State University, HSE and St. Petersburg State University.

In addition, the Ministry of Education and Science reminded that universities can accept the most talented students at their own expense and provide them with grant support. As an example, the agency cited the St. Petersburg Mining University of Empress Catherine II, which during the current admission campaign has already paid for the education of more than 120 students in full and another 100 for 50% of the cost of the first year.

According to the Ministry, applicants are increasingly considering not only Moscow and St. Petersburg universities, but also universities in the regions. Ural Federal University, Innopolis University, Nizhny Novgorod State Technical University, Southern Federal University and Sakhalin State University are among the most sought-after educational institutions.

No more mazes: the USE of 2026 will be a reflection of the school curriculum

How will school disciplines and the tutoring market change

On July 8, Russian Minister of Education Sergei Kravtsov announced that in 2026 there will be a noticeable increase in the average score on the Unified State Exam in natural sciences. So, the indicator in mathematics increased by 4.3 points, and in physics — by 4.7 points. Citing such statistics, the head of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation clarified that the average score of the Unified State Exam as a whole is growing by two points annually.